Stampede Blog

Tag Archives: Visiting Bands Committee

Can you believe it’s almost over?? It’s amazing how quickly these 10 days fly by – you grab a corndog, catch the rodeo and chucks, see a show or two and, before you know it, it’s the second Sunday!!

Most of our visiting bands are starting to pack up their equipment and make their way home – we’ve even closed up shop at our Visiting Bands Committee office in the school where all the bands stay during Stampede week. Would you believe that two of our committee members actually LIVE at the school during Stampede? Talk about the ultimate hosts! And they do an amazing job of making sure everyone is happy and safe…it’s that kind of dedication that makes Stampede volunteers so special.

Our bands performed all over the City this week – from Caravan breakfasts, to Rope Square, to right on Stampede Park. And they were fantastic (be sure to check out the photos below)! They played and marched their hearts out, and they did it in some crazy weather! Plus 30 in the blazing sun or intense winds and heavy rain – these bands never failed to please. We’re so grateful they were able to join us for the Calgary Stampede, and we thank them for the great entertainment and new friendships.

We hope they all have the chance to join us in 2011 when the Stampede will host the Mid-America Competing Band Directors Association (MACBDA), which will mean more bands and more intense competition for Showbands Live!

What an amazing day yesterday at the Calgary Stampede for our visiting and local marching show bands!!

Showbands Live! kicked off yesterday at 1:00 p.m. with the preliminary competition in the Saddledome. Finals began at 6:00 p.m. It was an outstanding showcase of all of the musical and marching talent we have visiting from around the world and right here in the heart of Calgary. I’m sure the hundreds of music fans that stopped by in the afternoon and the evening would tell you it was a must-see event – these bands put in extraordinary time and effort into making it look as easy as they do!

And the results are in!

Placement

Band Name

Hometown

Score

Prize Money

1st

Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts

Calgary, AB

88.0

$7 500

2nd

Calgary Stetson Show Band

Calgary, AB

84.0

$4 000

3rd

Red Deer Royal Concert & Marching Show Band

Red Deer, AB

80.5

$2 500

4th

Calgary Round-Up Band

Calgary, AB

73.1

$2 000

5th

Sandra Day O’Connor Eagle Pride Band

Phoenix, AZ

72.8

$1 500

6th

Spirit of Alberta Marching Band

Magrath, AB

61.9

$500

This well-deserved win capped off a hugely successful Stampede week for the Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts – they also took Best Canadian Band, Best Overall Band, and Best Senior Band in the Calgary Stampede Parade. Overall at the 2010 Stampede, Grandin has a total of more than $13,000 in prize money! Outstanding and a great pay off for the many hours (and sweat and tears and muscle) these young people poured into what they love to do! And they’re so good at it!

Another highlight of the night was the new Spectators Choice award – the audience got the final say on this one. 2010 is the first year for this award, and the audience chose the Calgary Round Up Band and their entertaining construction-themed field show as their favourite. Round Up also went home with the Southland Transportation Award, which recognizes the band that displays care for each other, accountability, responsibility and a great attitude for the 10 days that Southland Transportation ferries them from performance to performance. That one may just be the best award of the night! Way to go Round Up!

All of the competing shows were so awesome! It was so much fun to watch as they all looked fantastic (from high up in the media booth to down on the floor), and the rain helped to bring in the crowds. So – for all of you who stumbled on some spectacular entertainment thanks to Mother Nature, be sure to make note and join us in 2011 when we’ll be hosting even more bands from around the world at Showbands Live!

We’ve got a super exciting and unique marching band performance for everyone to check out Wednesday afternoon (July 14)!

If you don’t know, Wednesday is actually Bastille Day. Bastille Day is the French National holiday which commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14,1789. The anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. (You’re welcome for the French history lesson!).

To celebrate Bastille Day, the Band of the Royal Canadian Artillery and the Bagad de Lann-Bihoue,a visiting French Naval Band based in Lorient, Bretagne, France will perform for the public at Mewata Armoury (801 – 11 ST S.W.). The concert starts at 2 p.m. and goes until 4 p.m.

The Bagad de Lann-Bihoue is 32 members strong, divided into three groups by instruments: bagpipes, bombards (double reed oboes) and battery (drums). Very few bands of this kind have the bombards to accompany the bagpipes – it truly is a unique performance.

One of six Regular Force military bands in Canada, The Royal Canadian Artillery Band is proudly affiliated with the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. The “Army Band of the West” is comprised of 35 professional musicians and stationed at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton. Representing all elements of the Canadian Forces, The RCA Band performs regularly in the Edmonton area, Alberta and abroad. In May, the RCA Band toured to the Netherlands to perform in ceremonies commemorating the 65th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands.

Don’t miss the opportunity to view two contrasting styles of military musical performances, and to celebrate Bastille Day with these two talented groups of musicians!

Suncor Energy Family Day at the Stampede kicked off this morning with an extremely well attended Hays Breakfast. Admission to the Park was free before 9 a.m. and, from the look of the crowds, many people took advantage of the opportunity to get on Park and enjoy a great breakfast.

The Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts (who had an AMAZING Stampede Parade by taking Best Canadian, Best Senior, and Best Overall Band) performed early this morning for the crowds at Stampede Park. They certainly seem to be a crowd favourite this year. Can’t wait to see their field show on Tuesday in the Saddledome at Showbands Live! (Prelims starting at 1 p.m. and finals at 6 p.m.).

Although we’ve had a bit of rain over the first couple of days – our bands did a great job! Australian Youth Band and Cranbrook Girls Bugle Band both made it through the rain and performed for Stampede guests yesterday afternoon. Saturday was Australian Youth Band’s last performance with us for this year and the Visiting Bands Committee of the Stampede wants to extend a very special ‘thanks’ to them for some great performances and wonderful times!

If you have the chance you must try to take in the evening show “Ignite” on park (Bell Midway Circus). It features the Stampede Showband, a diver lit on fire and music synchronized with the evening fireworks – great entertainment!

Butterflies in the stomach, nervous anticipation, the inability to stand still…all of these physical and emotional reactions are experienced by our marching band performers just before they step off for the Calgary Stampede parade. Talk about adrenalin!

Musicians and performers that have felt the rush of seeing thousands of people gathered to watch the parade go by will tell you there’s no other feeling like it in the world. The cheers, the colours, the cameras – it all adds up to a once in a lifetime experience.

And it’s more work than you might think!

It takes plenty of practice (and practice, and practice), talent and commitment to look as good as these bands do. Mastering an instrument is tough enough – try memorizing an entire roster of songs while marching in perfect lines, in perfect time with 100 other people. Impressive, right?

So, when you see a marching band coming your way on parade day (actually, scratch that – you’ll hear them long before you see them) – be sure to stand up and cheer. (Especially if you’re somewhere on the east end of 9th Avenue at the end of the parade – they need a boost of energy!).

There will be 21 bands in this year’s Stampede parade – some from as far away as Australia and France. Be sure to give them a warm Calgary welcome and let them know you appreciate how much work goes into what they do! Clap in time to the music and give them a big YAHOO!

And save some love for your local hometown bands, too, because there are plenty of them.

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